Thirty-five children have been killed in a crush at a Christmas funfair in the south-west Nigerian city of Ibadan, with six others hospitalized, the police say.
The organizers had promised to give cash handouts and also food but so many people turned up that there was a crush as they struggled to gain entry.
Residents said that over 5,000 children had gathered at the venue and the crush occurred when the main organizers arrived to start the event.
The sequence of events leading to the crush has not been disclosed.
Thirty-five children died, and six others were hospitalized after the event turned deadly when organizers arrived. The Nigerian police have arrested eight people, including the main organizer, Naomi Silekunola.
President Bola Tinubu has expressed condolences to the victims’ families and called for an investigation.
Authorities have urged parents to check hospitals, where medics reported several fatalities. Nigeria’s worsening economic crisis has led to similar deadly crowd surges this year, with incidents in Nasarawa, Bauchi, and Lagos claiming multiple lives. The Oyo state government in Nigeria said victims had been taken to hospitals across Ibadan for treatment after the crush at the Islamic High School in the city’s Bashorun district.
Medics in one hospital told the BBC that six children had been admitted but only two survived – four had died. At another hospital, a doctor who declined to be named said he had counted three dead bodies.
Some affected parents told journalists that they had accompanied their children to converge at the venue of the “End of the Year Christmas funfair” as early as 05:00 on Wednesday – five hours before the event was due to start.
They were hoping to get some money and food as the organizers had promised to give out 5,000 naira each (about £2.50; $3) to 5,000 children as well as make free food available to attendees.
Nigeria is grappling with its worst economic crisis in a generation, which explains why more than 10,000 people reportedly turned up for the event.
There have been several similar incidents in Nigeria this year. Earlier in March, two female students were crushed to death at the Nasarawa State University, Keffi, near the capital Abuja, when a rice distribution programme by the State Governor caused a crowd surge. At least 23 people were injured.
Three days later in the northern state of Bauchi, at least seven people died in another crush when a philanthropist and businessman was giving handouts of 5,000 naira. Earlier in February, five people were reported killed in Lagos when the Nigerian Customs Service auctioned seized bags of rice.
Additional Sources: BBC, Africa News
